The present invention is directed to a merchandise display device. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a hanger display assembly for displaying merchandise.
A variety of different types of display apparatuses are available for displaying merchandise. Pegboard assemblies comprising panels and hanger elements which are mounted in the panels have been widely used for supporting articles in various displays. However, the hanger elements of these assemblies are prone to becoming inadvertently disengaged from the panels, and, for practical reasons, pegboard type display assemblies have often been found to be unsatisfactory. Other types of display assemblies which include panels having permanently mounted hanger elements have also been found to be less than satisfactory because they cannot be readily adapted to meet the needs of various merchandise display arrangement.
Other display apparatuses provide a hanger element securable to a display panel having an engagement portion which includes arms and a hanger portion which extends outwardly from the arms. The arms are formed so that they are receivable through a slot where the arms are adapted so that they are receivable in engagement in the notches defined by upper and lower positioning means for retaining the engagement portion in a position where the arms are in substantially transverse relation to the slot adjacent the rear side of the front plate. When the hanger element is positioned, the hanger portion extends outwardly beyond the front plate for receiving and supporting an item for display in front of the front plate.
However, the methods and apparatuses disclosed in the prior art for using such hanger assemblies in the prior art suffer from several drawbacks including durability problems caused when the clips are rotated and locked into position. Also, clips from the prior art require a special form of slatboard to receive the hanger attachment portions, thus greatly reducing the compatibility with existing slatboard display panels and increasing the manufacturing costs related to production of the specialized slatboard.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the drawbacks associated with the prior art and provide a hanger display assembly for use in slatboard or the like, which is of a durable easy to use construction, that allows for both inexpensive durable construction as well as ease of use when configuring merchandise displays. Another object of the present invention is to provide such a hanger display assembly that is capable of being used on a standard slatboard or similar display panel without require a specialized arrangement for connecting and securing the hanger assembly.
The present invention is directed to a display assembly comprised of a display panel having an elongated substantially horizontal extending slot, where the display panel has a front side and a rear side. A hanger display assembly is provided having a base portion, where the base portion has a first and second side and an engagement portion connected to the first side of the base portion, where the engagement portion includes first and second diverging arms protruding substantially perpendicular to the first side of the base portion. A hanger element is provided which extends outwardly from the second side of the base portion, where the hanger element is substantially perpendicular to the base potion. The arms are receivable through the slot when they are substantially aligned therewith, but not when they are disposed in a substantially transverse relation to the slot. The arms are receivable for engagement with the rear side of the display panel when positioned substantially transverse to the slot so that the first side of the base portion directly abuts the front side of the display panel so that the hanger element extends outwardly beyond the front side of the display panel for receiving and supporting an item in front of the display panel.